Why are growing numbers of people choosing to buy seeds from Irish Seed Savers?

The ethos here at Irish Seed Savers Association, is to conserve and distribute wonderful rare and heritage varieties, as well as to encourage the skills of saving your own seed and empowering people to do this in their own gardens, small holdings or farms.

All of our seeds are grown and saved in Ireland and are Open Pollinated which allows you to save your own seeds from them, keeping the variety true to type. By choosing Irish Seed Savers Open Pollinated Seeds you contribute to keeping food security in your own hands and Irish agricultural biodiversity alive and vibrant.

Download 2024 Heirloom Seed Catalogue

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  • Great Mullein

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    An imposing and statuesque native plant (up to 2 meters in height). In its 1st year, it produces large velvety basal leaves. In the second year, we are treated to a stunning single spike full of beautiful, small yellow flowers. In times gone by the leaves were dried, rolled and smoked and the seedheads were dipped in wax and used as candles, hence it's Irish Name Coinnle Muire (Mary's Candle). Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 100
  • An heirloom variety from the Bavarian region of Germany also known as German Bier Garten or Beer Garden. A plump white radish with great flavour. Traditionally sliced very thinly and dipped in salt and served with bread or a warm pretzel – washed down with a beer of course! Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 250
  • Light stripy green fruits. Good flavour and very creamy. An early, productive courgette. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 10
  • This yellow cherry tomato was introduced from Siberia so it's well-adapted to cool climes. Vigorous and early maturing. Producing numerous trusses of bright yellow fruit. with an irresistable complex sweet flavour. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 45
  • A tender Galician Kale variety. Used traditionally as an early green for a Spring soup by cutting it into thin strips. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 200
  • A classic green bean grown for its medium-sized, succulent, stringless green pods. The waxy, slightly curved pods grow abundantly in clusters on the plant. Tolerates heat and drought. Good for freezing. Average Seeds Per Pack: 30
  • Originating from Russia, this shaped oval shaped salad tomato came to Irish Seed Savers in 1999 via the Seed Savers Exchange in the USA. A high yielding variety. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 30
  • A selection made at the Department of Agriculture's research station at Backweston in Co. Kildare when breeding work on vegetables was still being undertaken there. Lovely purple-skinned roots with great flavour and hardiness in the field over winter. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 450
  • Tobacco

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    Tobacco plant, Nicotiana, has become a popular bedding plant in recent years. This lovely variety is especially tall-growing, with broad, luscious leaves and crowned with many pink-white trumpet-shaped flowers. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 100
  • Red Campion

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    This lovely tall flower likes shadier conditions such as hedgerows, woods and grassy banks. The attractive, pink-red, 5-petalled flowers are 2-3cm across and bloom from May to September. The plants themselves can grow quite large – from 30cm to 1m in height. Seeds are best started in pots, left to overwinter outside, and planted out in plugs in the spring.  As this species is dioecious (with male and female flowers on separate plants) it is important to grow out both males and females if you want the plants to self-seed (which they do readily!), or otherwise select only males to limit the spread. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 100
  • Foxglove

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    This striking native wildflower loves the edge of shady places - hedgerows banks, woodlands, mountains and moors. An elegant plant with dozens of purple, inner-speckled, tubular flowers that cluster around a tall stem, reaching 1.5m in height. As a biennial, the plants will produce foliage in their first year, with the magical flowering spikes developing in the second. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 100
  • Ox-Eye Daisy

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    This large, cheerful wildflower grows to 80cm tall, with flowerheads 25-50mm in diameter. The flowers consist of soft yellow centres, surrounded by bright white rays. A dramatic and lovely native plant to add to the garden. Seeds are best started in pots, left to overwinter outside, and planted out in plugs in the spring Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 100
  • Common Daisy

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    A familiar favourite for some, this charming flower is a native flower that we believe should be protected as much as the others. It can be seen in grasslands, lawns and roadsides from March-October. Brilliant white rays, sometimes tinged with pink, surround a bright yellow center. A welcome, cheerful addition to any garden. Seeds are best started in pots, left to overwinter outside, and planted out in plugs in the spring. Average Seeds Per Pack: 100
  • This Norwegian landrace is a hardy variety, well suited to growing in northern climates. The squat, medium-sized turnips are pale yellow in colour, and have an excellent flavour. Good for cooking as well as eating raw if you enjoy the strong flavour! Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 450
  • Bred in the 1960s by Paul Vogel and Dr. Rolf Bielau of the Julius Kühn-Institut in Quedlinburg, just north of the Harz mountains, this tomato variety of German heritage does not appear in any seed catalogue that we are aware of. We obtained the original seed from the Gaterslaben genebank, and Seed Guardian Nick Hill grew it out in Carlow in the spring of 2021. A tomato with medium sized red fruits, thin-skinned and with a sweet flavour. If you try this variety, please let us know what you think! Average seeds per pack 35
  • This Danish variety produces plenty of medium-sized dark-purple roots. It is very high-yielding - during variety trials carried out by Teagasc in the 1960s, Bangholm had an 8% higher yield than the control crop. We found them a great all-round swede. If you try them do let us know what you think! Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 450
  • Originating in Virginia, in the USA, this delicious curled spinach has the added benefit of being resistant to blight. As with most spinach, you’ll get better results if you sow in autumn as this crop tends to bolt in warm weather. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 250
  • Coming Soon
    This leafy-green perennial has its origins in the Mediterranean region. It is straightforward and quick to grow, with its characteristic lobed leaves ready to harvest only six weeks after sowing. The flavour is sweetly peppery when the leaves are young, becoming spicier and more intense as the plant develops. A lovely addition to salads. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 700
  • These rocket seeds were brought back to Mud Island Community Garden by garden member Mark Kawa from the Lebanon. They nick-named it Lebanese Rocket when planting the seeds with little hope for such a hot climate plant, but it has thrived in winter and summer. If not regularly picked it quickly goes to seed but the leaves do not go as bitter as others. The delicate champagne coloured flowers are equally delicious and mild. If properly managed it can grow to a mass of about 30cm and planted as edible filler in the flower garden. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 700
  • Land Cress

    3.50
    Also known as American cress, these dark green leaves have a spicy flavour like water cress, but the plants are much easier to grow. Compact plants form attractive lobed leaves in rosettes. They thrive in the summer and autumn, but will also happily carry on throughout winter due to their cold tolerance. It’s surprising this delicious, peppery plant isn’t grown more widely! Average Seeds Per Pack: 1400
Supported in part by the Department of Rural and Community Development and Pobal through the Community Services Programme. We confirm that our organisation complies with The Governance Code for the Community, Voluntary and Charitable Sector in Ireland.

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